The Grierson Trust has announced the shortlist for the 2021 British Documentary Awards in association with All3Media and Digital Broadcast Partners, Little Dot Studios.
This year there are two new award categories – Best Music and Best Sport Documentary. Amongst the big hitters are stars from the worlds of boxing, football, athletics, snooker and the Paralympics with musical influences ranging from rock ‘n’ roll queen Tina Turner and Afrobeat king Fela Kuti to gen-Z icon Billie Eilish and K-pop sensation BLACKPINK.
The impact of the pandemic can still be felt: in the Best Presenter category Dr Chris and Dr Xand van Tulleken are shortlisted for Surviving the Virus: My Brother & Me alongside David Harewood’s Why is COVID Killing People of Colour?while Grayson Perry’s Art Club features for a second consecutive year in the Best Arts category.
Other headline events of 2020 – including the death of George Floyd and increasing impacts of the climate crisis – are reflected in multiple films. Shortlisted films shining the spotlight on racism include Take Your Knee Off My Neck: My First Time; Leigh-Anne Pinnock: Race, Pop & Power; Anton Ferdinand: Football, Racism and Me and The School That Tried to End Racism. Meanwhile the newly expanded Best Natural History or Environmental category features the twice-shortlisted David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet and Climate Change: Ade on the Frontline.
Lorraine Heggessey, Chair of The Grierson Trust says: “Following a truly challenging year, I’m delighted to announce such a diverse and engaging shortlist, celebrating some of the most outstanding and impactful factual programmes screened in the past 12 months.
“I’m also thrilled that the 2021 shortlist continues our trend in representing the biggest range of channels, broadcasters and platforms, as commissioners recognise the crucial role the documentary plays in every schedule.”
The BBC tops the shortlist with 47 entries overall. Netflix has 21 films in the running; ITV has eight; Sky, nine and Channel 4 has 10 in the mix. Apple TV+ has six films listed. Al Jazeera, Vice, PSB International, Discovery, S4C all have one each while the remainder is made up of festival and university screenings alongside theatrical releases.
The 112 shortlisted films and eight presenters will now go forward to final nominations and judging ahead of 49th annual awards ceremony on 10th November 2021.
Shortlist in full
Envy Best Single Documentary – Domestic
2020: The Story of Us, Docsville Studios — ITV
Can Sex Offenders Change? Blakeway North — BBC iPlayer
David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet Silverback Films & WWF Production — Netflix
Defending Digga D Lambent Productions — BBC Three
Katie Price: Harvey and Me Minnow Films — BBC One
Leigh-Anne Pinnock: Race, Pop & Power Dragonfly Film & Television Production — BBC Three
Locked In: Breaking the Silence Marble Films – BBC Four
Nail Bomber: Manhunt Expectation — Netflix
Molinare Best Single Documentary – International
Boys State Apple, A24, Concordia Studio & Mile End Films – Apple TV+
Collective: Unravelling a Scandal Alexander Nanau Production – BBC Four
Father Soldier Son A Netflix Original Documentary & A New York Times Production — Netflix
Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds Apple, Sandbox Films, Dogwoof, Hot Docs, Spring Films & Werner Herzog Films – Apple TV+
My Octopus Teacher A Netflix Original Documentary in association with Off the Fence & The Sea Change Project – Netflix
The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo A Vice Studios Latin America & Scopio Production – Netflix
Tina Lightbox – Sky Documentaries
Welcome to Chechnya: The Gay Purge Public Square Films – BBC Four
Best Current Affairs Documentary
Al Jazeera Investigations: The Cyprus Papers Undercover Al Jazeera Media Network — Al Jazeera
Exposure: America’s War on Abortion Fuuse Films – ITV
In Cold Blood Darlow Smithson Productions – ITV
Inside the Battle for Jerusalem VICE News — Vice
Return From ISIS: A Family’s Story Mongoose – BBC iPlayer
Totally Under Control Jigsaw Productions – BBC Two
Undercover in the Schools that Chain Boys BBC News Arabic Documentaries – BBC Arabic
Welcome to Chechnya: The Gay Purge Public Square Films – BBC Four
Storm Best Arts Documentary
African Apocalypse Inside Out Films & Lemkino Pictures – BBC Two
Cold War Steve Meets the Outside World CC Lab – Sky Arts
Grayson’s Art Club – Episode 4 Swan Films — Channel 4
Imagine… Lemn Sissay: The Memory of Me BBC Studios, The Documentary Unit – BBC One
Keith Haring: Street Art Boy BBC Studios, The Documentary Unit – BBC Two
Maggi Hambling: Making Love with the Paint Filmwrights & Menace – BBC Two
The Painter and the Thief Sky Arts
Pepe the Frog: Feels Good Man Wavelength Productions — BBC Four
Sky Documentaries Best Music Documentary
Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell A Netflix Original Documentary — Netflix
Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry Apple, Interscope Films, The Darkroom, This Machine & Lighthouse Management & Media – Apple TV+
BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky RadicalMedia – Netflix
Defending Digga D Lambent Productions — BBC Three
Fela Kuti: Father of Afrobeat Plimsoll Productions – BBC Two
Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché Tyke Films & Poly Doc Films – Sky Arts
Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm ie ie productions – BBC iPlayer
Tina Lightbox – Sky Documentaries
Best Sports Documentary
Anton Ferdinand: Football, Racism and Me New Era Television & Wonder Television – BBC One
Athlete A A Netflix Original Documentary in association with Impact Partners, Artemis Rising Foundation, Meadow Fund, Dobkin Family Foundation, Chicago Media Project, Grant Me the Wisdom Productions & An Actual Films Production – Netflix
Bruno v Tyson Workerbee in association with Sky Studios – Sky Documentaries
Finding Jack Charlton Noah Media Group – BBC Two
Gods of Snooker Mindhouse – BBC iPlayer
Pelé Pitch Productions – Netflix
Rising Phoenix A Netflix Original Documentary, HTYT Films & Passion Pictures in association with Misfits Entertainment & Ventureland – Netflix
Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In DNA Films & Ventureland – Theatrical release
Channel 5 Best History Documentary
Damilola: The Boy Next Door Acme Films – Channel 4
DeLorean: Back from the Future Fired Up Films – BBC iPlayer
Fear City: New York vs The Mafia – Episode 1 A RAW & Brillstein Entertainment Partners Production — Netflix
In Cold Blood Darlow Smithson Productions – ITV
Nail Bomber: Manhunt Expectation – Netflix
Once Upon a Time in Iraq – Episode 2 KEO Films – BBC iPlayer
Silenced: The Hidden Story of Disabled Britain Blast! Films – BBC Two
Subnormal: A British Scandal Rogan Productions, Lammas Park & Turbine Studios – BBC iPlayer
The Open University Best Science Documentary
25 Siblings & Me Expectation Factual – BBC Two
Connected: The Hidden Science of Everything – Episode 4 Zero Point Zero — Netflix
Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds Apple, Sandbox Films, Dogwoof, Hot Docs, Spring Films & Werner Herzog Films – Apple TV+
The Last Artifact Montana PBS & Montana State University – PBS International
Locked In: Breaking the Silence Marble Films – BBC Four
Sheridan Smith: Becoming Mum True Vision – ITV
Sudden Death: My Sister’s Silent Killer Storyvault Films – BBC One
The Surgeon’s Cut – Episode 1 BBC Studios — Netflix
Discovery Best Natural History or Environmental Documentary
Climate Change: Ade on the Frontline – Episode 1 BBC This World – BBC iPlayer
David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet Silverback Films & WWF Production — Netflix
Endangered BBC Studios, Natural History Unit — Discovery+
Extinction: The Facts BBC Studios, The Science Unit – BBC One
My Octopus Teacher A Netflix Original Documentary in association with Off the Fence & The Sea Change Project – Netflix
Ocean Autopsy: The Secret Story of Our Seas Pioneer Productions – BBC Four
Secret Safari: Into the Wild – Episode 1 Blast! Films — Channel 4
Tiny World: Jungle Plimsoll Productions in association with Apple — Apple TV+
YouTube Originals Best Entertaining Documentary
Bank Job Optimistic & Dartmouth Films – Theatrical release
Dick Johnson is Dead A Netflix Original Documentary & A Big Mouth Productions Film – Netflix
The Dog House – Episode 4 Five Mile Films – Channel 4
DRYCH: Chwaer Fach Chwaer Fawr DOGMA – S4C
The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan: Christmas – The Hebrides Rumpus Media – BBC Two
The Mole: Infiltrating North Korea Piraya Film I AS – BBC iPlayer
The Mystery of DB Cooper Minnow Films – BBC Four
Undercover OAP: The Mole Agent Micromundo Producciones, Motto Pictures, Sutor Kolonko, Volya Films & Malvalanda – BBC Four
Netflix Best Documentary Series
Allen v. Farrow HBO Documentary Films in association with Impact Partners, Chicago Media Project, Artemis Rising Foundation, Jane Doe Films & The Lozen Foundation – Sky Documentaries
Baby Surgeons: Delivering Miracles Wonderhood — Channel 4
Becoming You Wall to Wall Productions in association with Apple – Apple TV+
The Detectives: Fighting Organised Crime Minnow Films — BBC iPlayer
Immigration Nation Reel Peak Films – Netflix
Once Upon a Time in Iraq KEO Films — BBC iPlayer
Pandemic 2020 KEO Films — BBC iPlayer
Room 2806: The Accusation Capa Presse – Netflix
Channel 4 Best Constructed Documentary Series
Born Without a Trace Wall to Wall Media – ITV
The Choir: Singing for Britain Twenty Twenty Productions — BBC Two
The Dog House Five Mile Films – Channel 4
Grayson’s Art Club Swan Films — Channel 4
The Rap Game UK Naked – BBC Three
The Real Full Monty on Ice Spun Gold TV – ITV
Saved by a Stranger Blink Films – BBC Two
The School That Tried to End Racism Proper Content — Channel 4
The Rumi Foundation Best Documentary Short
Dafa Metti (Difficult) Tal Amiran – London Film Festival
Disciples Dazed – Dazed Digital
Everyman Bombito Productions – Glasgow Film Festival
I Still Breathe Modern Films – Sky Arts
A Love Song for Latasha A Netflix Original Documentary – Netflix
Mother Try Hard Films – London Film Festival
Take Your Knee Off My Neck: My First Time Milk and Honey Productions – Channel 4
What Would Sophia Loren Do? Artemis Rising Foundation presents A Red Light Films Production – Netflix
All3Media Best Student Documentary
Alt Er Nu (All is now) National Film and Television School
Eden University of the West of England
Is It Me? University of the West of Scotland
The Scarecrows Arts University Bournemouth
Short Term Sister Goldsmiths, University of London
Tease National Film and Television School
Tough Love University of Westminster
You Girls Need to Grow Up University College London
Best Documentary Presenter
ALISON HAMMOND for Alison Hammond: Back to School ITV Studios, Daytime – ITV
CERRIE BURNELL for Silenced: The Hidden Story of Disabled Britain Blast! Films — BBC Two
DAVID HAREWOOD for Why is COVID Killing People of Colour? Twenty Twenty Productions — BBC One
DR CHRIS AND DR XAND VAN TULLEKEN for Surviving the Virus: My Brother & Me Little Gem — BBC One
MICAH RICHARDS for Micah Richards: Tackling Racism Buzz16 in association with New Stance — Sky Documentaries
MICHAEL PALIN for Michael Palin’s Himalaya: Journey of a Lifetime Firecrest Films — BBC Two
ROMAN KEMP for Roman Kemp: Our Silent Emergency Twofour — BBC Three
YINKA BOKINNI for Damilola: The Boy Next Door Acme Films — Channel 4
